LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky is the bourbon state and celebrates all things bourbon; Buffalo Trace Distillery continued that tradition by filling its eight millionth barrel since Prohibition on Thursday.
A Buffalo Trace press release says the historic distillery filled its seven millionth barrel just four years ago.
The $1.2 billion investment into its expansion has helped to speed up the process; it was an average of 12 years in between each Buffalo Trace milestone according to the release.
“Over the past few years, we’ve doubled our fermenters, added more grain cookers and more barrel warehouses, all in an effort to make more bourbon,” Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said.
He added the new still house will help with reaching the nine millionth barrel "before you know it."
"This company has more than 200 years of history in our state, providing quality jobs for Kentuckians and producing our world-famous bourbon," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said. "Here’s to 200 more years of success in our state."
Freddie Johnson and his grandson, Osiris Johnson, helped roll the historic barrel into Warehouse V, "the world's smallest bonded barrel warehouse." Freddie's late father, Jimmy Johnson, was a former warehouse supervisor and helped with every millionth barrel according to the release.
Osiris is the fourth generation from the Johnson family to help with one of the millionth barrels.
They moved the seven millionth barrel to a larger warehouse so it can continue aging.
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